Titchfield Festival Theatre is set to captivate audiences with a compelling new production of William Shakespeare's timeless tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Staged within the historic Great Barn, Titchfield, a venue graced by Shakespeare himself, this shortened version promises an accessible yet powerful experience, blending original language with modern narrative links.

John O’Hanlon is the director of Romeo & Juliet: the shortened version and spoke to Simon Frost:

Simon: Why do you think the Great Barn is such an exciting place to perform plays as a director?

 John: The Great Barn has a unique ambience. The historical significance of the building lends itself perfectly to performances, particularly with its links to the past and to Shakespeare himself, who was a frequent visitor to Titchfield and to the Abbey. Actors can create a world of magic, plots, murderous deeds, love, ambition, comic confusions - much like the world created by the team of writers who wrote for the Globe including Shakespeare. The stage at The Great Barn sits perfectly within the Elizabethan landscape. 

Simon: Have you directed a "shortened version" of a classic such as this before, and what are your thoughts?

 John: I adapted and directed several classic plays for young people; recently for Titchfield Youth Theatre, I wrote versions of Comedy of Errors and Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, this is the first time I have directed a Shakespeare play with adults and young people in the cast. A new challenge! The most important feature for me is making the plays accessible to potential new audiences, either through the Animated Tales, or through the Graphic Shakespeare series, it’s important to see the plays ‘come to life’ on a stage.

“This version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ uses Shakespeare's original language alongside modern narrative links. The production is a wonderful introduction to the play and an opportunity to see and what unfolds in the story. After all, Shakespeare wrote plays to appeal to a diversity of audience members from all parts of the Elizabethan society. 

Simon: For audiences familiar with Shakespeare’s best-known play, why do you think they will enjoy the shortened version?

 John: I think they will be intrigued by the possibility of seeing two young actors play the young lovers. Our Juliet is 14, the same age as Juliet in the play. Romeo is played by a young actor aged 15. Two talented youngsters playing alongside established TFT adult actors - two of whom are the mothers of Romeo and Juliet! We are setting the production in a contemporary context. Again, to emphasise the relatable connection to a modern audience. 

Simon: "Set against the backdrop of a divided modern society—where loyalty, identity, and violence still tear communities apart—the story of two young lovers burns brighter than ever." Tell us more.

John: 400 years after Romeo and Juliet was first performed the themes of hate and division within the play still - unhappily – relatable. We don’t have to look far to see what happens when the cycle of hatred is permitted to continue. Shakespeare’s play is a kind of ‘warning’ to his audiences that hate, divided communities, will only lead to disaster. Shakespeare’s powerful message in Romeo and Juliet is ultimately very simple: “look what happens when families allow hatred to fester, treat their children as properties and force them into incompatible marriages”. The Capulets and Montagues have been bitter rivals for years, to the point in the play when it boils over and affects the lives of two innocent young people. At the end of the play the two families put aside their past loathing’s and end their age-old enmities. As Lady Capulet says: “Poor sacrifices for our enmity”.

For parents or guardians with young people about to enter secondary school in September or about to study Romeo and Juliet as part of their English or drama curriculum, this is an ideal opportunity to see this celebrated and iconic play performed live onstage in the magnificent theatre of The Great Barn, Titchfield. After all, Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be seen and heard on a stage, not simply read in a classroom.

Thank you, John.

Romeo & Juliet: the shortened version performs in the Great Barn between 18 to 28 August 2025. For more information including booking tickets please go to http://titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com/ or contact our Box Office on 0333 666 3366.

John O’Hanlon

John has directed and written a number of plays for TFT adults and for Titchfield Youth Theatre. Established plays include Blue Remembered Hills, An Inspector Calls and The Yorkshire Tragedy.

For adults he has written and directed The Nose, Olga At The Theatre, Hauntings, Back To The Sky, Blanket Of Deceit and Bonefire. For Titchfield Youth Theatre John has written a number of ‘bespoke’ plays including Frank Stein 2040, Little Plant From Outer Space, Time Please Mr Shakespeare and Juliet and Romeo On The Run.